During a flight, in particular a long-haul flight, it may not be ruled out that passengers or the aircrew may require emergency medical aid. For this purpose, it must primarily be ensured that the affected person to receive medical aid may be brought to a lying down position. However, in particular in modern passenger aircraft, there are space problems in this respect. This is due to ever more intensive use of space reserves for accommodating further seats or seat rows or passenger hand luggage.
In fully occupied aircraft it may be difficult to create a reclining position region for emergency medical aid by clearing a left-hand or right-hand seat row or both seat rows occupied by passengers. For example, passengers without seats would not have their belts fastened during the start phase and in particular during the landing phase. For this reason, the use of several seats for a patient is only feasible in the case of planned passenger transport. In this case, the seats have to be reserved in advance. A stretcher to be put onto the seats must be provided. Naturally, this procedure may be not possible in the case of a medical emergency during the flight.
Known permanent facilities for medical aid may require stowage space that could be used for further seats. Moreover, such facilities may be heavy, and, since more often than not, they are retrofitted facilities, they may be associated with comparatively high additional costs to the aircraft operator.
From US 2005/0040288 A1, a medical unit for aircraft is known. Disclosed in particular, is a frame onto which a reclining position device in the form of a stretcher may be placed and fixed. The frame is arranged over two seat rows and has to be stored, together with the reclining position device, in a stowage space specifically provided for this purposed. When the medical unit is to be used, the two seat rows have to be hinged over. In this way, the above-mentioned disadvantages of significant space requirements, of the use of more than one seat, and of the weight, are in particular not overcome by providing the stowage space by means of the medical unit according to US 2005/0040288 A1 and US 2006/0060740 A1.